U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Between October 2012 and September 2013, St. Croix is scheduled to welcome a total of 55 cruise ships, including nine that will visit the island for the very first time.
While 57 ships visited St. Croix last season, the larger ships anticipated this season are expected to yield more passengers and crew than last season’s arrivals. The larger-sized ships include Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas (total capacity 3360), Brilliance of the Seas (total capacity 3360), Vision of the Seas (total capacity 3200), Enchantment of the Seas (total capacity 3206), and Celebrity Cruise Line’s Eclipse (total capacity 4123). Smaller ships making their inaugural calls to St. Croix include Amadea, Columbus, Silver Spirit and Silver Whisper.
A notable change to the 2012/2013 schedule is the presence of cruise ships during the summer months. With seven calls scheduled for the Jewel of the Seas in the summer of 2013, an estimated 17,507 passengers and 6,013 crew will visit St. Croix during the traditionally slow period. Also of note is the arrival of two ships per day on December 17 and 31, 2012 and on February 22, 2013.
“We continue to work diligently to build brand awareness for St. Croix to increase both cruise and land-based arrivals,” said Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “In the face of these challenging economic times, cruise arrivals are a welcome opportunity to showcase the best of St. Croix and encourage visitors to return for extended overnight stays,” she said.
To prepare for the upcoming season, the Department of Tourism will hold customer service training sessions for the general public on St. Croix in September. Additionally, the Department will participate in the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Conference in early October once again, inviting local tour operators to be a part of the USVI delegation at this important industry event. More information will be available shortly on these two opportunities.
